Emerald and Onyx An EPIC Gwevin Twoshot
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: A young boy named Devlin comes from twenty years in the future with a message: His father is being held by a monster only Kevin can defeat. As Kevin, Gwen, and Devlin travel to the future, new secrets are revealed concerning the couple's past and future.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay people! It's ten o'clock and I'm REALLY tired! I decided to split this epic story into two chapters. I'll try to finish the second half before 8:30 tomorrow. One thing I will tell you: There isn't as much fluff here as in my other stories. I promise though, it will come later. I'm planning a scene in part two that'll have Angst lovers crying to Mommy! There IS some fluff in here and some family elements that I'm sure you'll love! Okay, the deal here is that a boy named Devlin comes from the future to ask for Kevin's help. His father was kidnapped by a strange monster that only Kevin can defeat. Along with having to travel into the future, Kevin finds out some horrible knowledge about Gwen's future: She's married! He also begins dealing with a strange instinct to protect Devlin and a new fear that he can't understand. Yeah...sucky summary but trust me! This is probably the greatest Gwevin I've ever written in my life!**

"Mommy, I don't understand!" The little boy sobbed. His black hair fell in bangs over his one dark eye and one green eye and he brushed them back irritably. "I can't do this! You're better at it! I can't go alone!"

"It's too risky for me to go! You know what might happen if I travel back to the past right now! We can't risk little Ben and Julie!" The red haired woman placed a slender hand on her son's shoulder while holding her other hand protectively over her bulging stomach. "I've taught you the basics of time travel. Paradox will help you with the initial journey. The rest is up to you. You don't have a choice, Devlin. It's the only way to save your father!"

The six year old's eyes flared with determination at the mention his dad. He thought back to how he had last seen his father...being throttled by that monster... He shivered a little. His eyes then fell on his mother's bulging stomach and his resolve solidified. His mom was right! He had to do it! For his mom, dad, and unborn siblings! That monster would not do any more harm! "If only Uncle was here..." He muttered softly.

"Ben is halfway across the universe, Devlin." The woman said firmly. "You have a better chance than anyone right now! Besides, if Ben went, there is the slight chance that he'd be recognized by his past self! That would be a disaster!" She held out her arms and pulled her son into a hug. "Paradox knows where to take you and I promise you that you'll recognize your father's past self when you see him."

"Yes...from what you told me, he's pretty hard to miss." Devlin smiled dryly.

The woman smiled at the uncanny resemblance between Devlin and his father and felt a tear come to her cheek. "I wish I didn't have to ask you to do this, Devlin. I know you're scared but my hands are tied. I'm so sorry."

Devlin put on a brave face and forced himself to grin. "Don't worry about it, Mommy! I can handle it!" At that moment, a rip in the air around them signaled Paradox's arrival.

"It's time, Devlin." Paradox held out a hand.

Devlin threw his arms around his mother and tried not to cry. "I won't fail, Mommy! Don't worry!" He sounded more sure than he felt.

Paradox placed a hand on Devlin's shoulder. "Come. Don't worry, Devlin. I'll be with you until you're safe in the past."

Devlin nodded mutely as he was lead through the rip toward a time twenty years ago...

* * *

"Give up?" Kevin stared over the juice cup-ridden table with a smirk. "You know you can't beat me, Tennyson! I got a stomach of steel! Literally!"

Ben held a half drained juice cup firmly in his hand and grinned easily. "Those were simply an appetizer! I haven't even begun warming up!"

"Come on, guys! This _can't_ be good for you!" Gwen sat next to Julie, suppressing a look of disgust. "You could spend your money on better things than endless juice!"

"I think that they get free juice once they go over twenty." Julie muttered, resting her cheek on her hand. "I really need to see about asking Mr. Smoothie to withdraw that offer before they go out of business."

"Carrot, shredded cabbage, and caramel." Ben's smile widened. "I _know_ you won't be able to stomach this!" He drained his cup with one long slurp.

Kevin eyed his own cup warily. While his stomach was made of steel, he could still taste! 'Come on, Levin! You can take it!' He raised the rim to his lips and started to drink. His eyes widened as an awful taste filled his mouth. It contained the disgusting, dirty feel of carrot, a very sauerkraut-like cabbage flavor, and a sickeningly sweet dash of caramel. He felt himself gag and he was unable to keep from spitting the horrible liquid onto the table. "UGH!" He quickly snatched a bottle of water and began gargling. "Tennyson, you're more of a mutant that I am!" He sputtered as he spat the water to the side. "Ugh..." He shuddered involuntarily as the last traces of the juice faded slowly from his taste buds.

Ben let out a laugh. "Still the champion! Now my twenty bucks if you please?" He held out his hand, his green eyes glinting victoriously.

"Fine..." Kevin handed Ben the money, grumbling.

"_And_ you're on cleanup duty! Have fun!" Still chuckling, Ben led Julie off.

Kevin's heart sank at the sight of the forty plus juice cups, crumpled napkins, and the drink he had just spat out. He glanced hopefully at Gwen. "Say, Gwen could you...?"

"Nope! A bet's a bet!" Gwen stood up. "I gotta hit the books tonight anyway. See you later!"

"Thanks a lot..." Kevin muttered as Gwen ran off on a stream of mana. He watched her until she disappeared into the distance. A smile spread across his face. 'She looks real pretty when she does that...' He mused to himself before he began picking up the cups.

* * *

Devlin's nose wrinkled with distaste as he inhaled the air. This was before crystal energy was utilized, so the air was rank with a sharp scent that could only be that liquid called gasoline! 'Yuck! How did Mommy and Daddy survive here?!' He already felt himself getting dizzy. He shook his head a little. Paradox had left. 'Why did he leave?' He wondered. 'He said that it wasn't his destiny to help me or something...something about a mess up in the passage of time...I'll never understand that guy!' Trying to keep his head clear, Devlin stumbled through the streets until a flash of movement caught his eye. His breath caught in his throat. A large green and black car was driving by. It was more old fashioned than the model he was used to but there was no mistaking the design! It was his father's car from twenty years ago! Feeling his courage mounting, Devlin ran after the retreating car.

* * *

Kevin groaned as he fumbled with the garage door. Cleaning up the mess from that contest took longer than he had thought. "Mom, I'm home!" He called out, before remembering that his mother was on a trip somewhere. 'Right...got the house to myself...' He stretched and let out a yawn. 'Maybe I'll throw a party tomorrow night...' He thought in a daze. He fell on his bed and was asleep almost immediately. His ID mask fell to the floor at the foot of his bed.

That night, he had another nightmare. He saw Ragnarok calling for help. He heard voices, thousands of voices speaking in his head at once. Another vision came into his consciousness. It was a man, in his mid thirties. He had long hair down past his shoulders. He had a familiar bulky build and a mischievous glint in his dark eyes. There was a woman with him...a beautiful red haired woman who had a strange resemblance to Gwen. There was a little boy with them... 'He looks a little like I did as a kid...' Kevin thought to himself before the vision faded and he was faced once more with the decision on whether to save or kill his father's murderer.

* * *

"Um...hello?"

…

"Hell_ooooooo_?"

… "Hm?"

"Wake up! Sheesh...you sleep like a rock at age sixteen too!"

… "Wha?" Kevin blinked his eyes a few times, trying to clear the sleep out. He squinted, trying to see through the darkness. He caught the outline of something looking down at him and he immediately jumped out of bed and morphed his hands.

"Wait! Don't hurt me!"

Kevin froze when he realized that the voice belonged to a small child, but he didn't drop his guard. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Can you turn on a light? I wanna see what you look like..." The boy had a strange curiosity, as if he knew who Kevin was.

'That's impossible...' Kevin turned and grabbed his ID mask, fitting it on before flipping the light switch. Sure enough, he was staring into the face of a young boy, six years old at the most. The boy's black eyes were wide with fascination. Not fear, just fascination... 'Weird...' "Any particular reason for coming into my house?" A thought occurred to him. "Which I _locked_!"

"Oh...well..." The boy took his right hand out from behind his back, revealing a laser handgun. His face flushed guiltily. "You may wanna fix that hole I shot through the door before your mommy sees it..." He grinned sheepishly and slipped the weapon into his jean pocket.

What was a kid doing with a laser?! "What's your name?"

"Devlin L-" The boy stopped and looked down at the floor. "My name is Devlin."

"Who are your parents, Devlin?" Kevin took a step closer, curiosity overcoming caution.

"Well my mommy is named..." He mumbled something under his breath. "And my daddy is..." He muttered another mess of inaudible jumble. He shuffled his foot and looked so uncomfortable that Kevin didn't press the subject.

"Why are you here, Devlin?"

"Well I-" Devlin cut himself off and seemed to be pondering something. "My parents...um...are away on emergency Plumber business. And...they told me to find a Plumber to take care of me while they were gone. I'm targeted by a lot of people because of my parents, so they wanted me to be well protected."

"Why didn't they hire someone?" Kevin asked, positive that Devlin wasn't telling the truth.

"It was an emergency and they had to leave right away. I tracked the nearest Plumber's badge and found you." He looked up at Kevin with big eyes. "What's your name?"

"Kevin Ethan Levin." Kevin replied, feeling his suspicion fading away completely and being replaced with something else that he couldn't recognize. He wanted to protect this kid. He was glad that Devlin had found him.

Devlin's eyes lit up with a powerful combination of excitement, adoration, and hope. "I gotta stay with you then! Please? Only you will be good enough!" His smile was one close to hero worship.

Kevin nearly staggered when he saw the wave of emotions flowing from the boy. Was he that well known? Why did his name have such an effect on Devlin? He wasn't exactly the most well known or well liked Plumber. Still, it seemed so perfectly natural, a smile spread across Kevin's face. "Sure thing, kid. Stay as long as you want."

Before Kevin could stop him, Devlin rushed over and hugged him. He was tall for his age so his arms went around the base of Kevin's waist and his head nuzzled into the area between Kevin's stomach and chest. "Thank you so much, D- Kevin! Thank you!" Then he froze and drew back slightly. He tapped a hand experimentally against Kevin's stomach and blinked a few times at the hollow metal sound. He stared up curiously at Kevin. "I didn't know..." He didn't seem able to decide what to say.

Feeling his natural shame for his appearance increase to an unnatural high, Kevin quickly backed away. "S-So would you like to sleep on the couch or the bed?"

"The couch is fine!" Devlin was still staring at Kevin in a very calculating way.

Kevin shifted uncomfortably under Devlin's scrutiny. "Okay then. Wake me up when you get hungry and we'll get something to eat." He watched the kid leave the room before he collapsed on his bed. All of a sudden, he felt more tired than he had in days!

* * *

Kevin woke up early the next morning and walked downstairs, careful to be very quiet. Devlin was still asleep. His brows were creased slightly, as if he was having a nightmare. Kevin pulled the blanket over the kid's shoulder and placed a hand gently on his arm. 'What is up with me?!' He wondered as he stared at the sleeping boy with a type of compassion that he would have never thought was possible.

Devlin let out a whimper of terror. He could see his dad! The four armed beast had him tightly...so tightly... His mom was trying to shoot mana but the weight of little Ben was holding her back. The monster swung an orange hand at her, his dad yelled in pain, and Devlin woke up screaming. "Mommy! Daddy!" His eyes grew even wider when he realized that he was staring at a face made of Taedenite and stone. He felt his fear fade away as he recognized those eyes. Wordlessly, he threw his arms around Kevin's shoulders and began to cry.

Kevin was stunned beyond words as he held the sobbing kid in his arms. "Shhh...It's okay..." He gently stroked Devlin's hair and whispered softly to him until he finally stopped crying.

"I-I'm s-sorry..." Devlin sniffled. "It w-was s-so real..."

Kevin smiled encouragingly and ruffled Devlin's hair, pushing his bangs out of his face. "Don't worry about it! I get some pretty bad dreams too!" It was then that he first noticed Devlin's eyes. His right eye was bright emerald green, like Ben or Gwen's eyes. The left was so dark brown, it was indistinguishable from the color black. 'Woah...' Kevin couldn't bring himself to look away.

Devlin felt slightly uncomfortable as Kevin stared into his eyes. He hated his weird eyes and always tried to hide them when not around his parents. 'But Kevin is...' He sighed silently to himself. 'I guess he can see...'

* * *

"Where _is_ Kevin?! Didn't I say to come as soon as possible?!" Ben paced in front of the house while Gwen leaned calmly against a wall.

"You know that Kevin's always late. Don't worry about it." Suddenly, her eyes flashed. "I sense something...a presence..."

"What kind of presence?" Ben asked, stopping his pacing.

"Something...something powerful and...important somehow...It's vague though. I can't tell exactly what's going on..." She shook her head slowly.

"Hey guys!" Kevin got out of the car and waved cheerfully. "What's up?"

"Where have you been?!" Ben walked over and folded his arms. "You took a half hour!"

"Sorry...we were stopping for some breakfast?" Kevin grinned sheepishly.

"We?" Ben asked, confused. 'Who could Kevin be with this early?' At that moment, his attention was drawn to the back seat of Kevin's car. A little boy jumped out, a bagel in one hand and a smoothie in the other. 'Who's that?' Ben took a step forward. The boy looked surprisingly like Kevin, with low bangs shading his eyes. He had ripped blue jeans and a ratty gray hoodie on over a stained white tee.

Gwen felt a shock go through her system. 'That's what I was sensing...' She took a hesitant step closer. Kevin was grinning easily.

"Ben, Gwen, meet Devlin. His parents are Plumbers and are both away on an emergency call. I'm taking care of him till they come back." He ruffled Devlin's hair. Devlin grinned up at him, making a warm feeling erupt in Kevin's chest. "Now, what did you need me for?"

"I _need_ a smoothie and you're the only one around with a car! Our parents are at work and I'm starving!" Ben threw his hands into the air in a helpless gesture.

"_That's_ your big emergency?!" Kevin rolled his eyes as Devlin burst out laughing. "Ben, one of these days, I swear..." He groaned in exasperation.

"Well, how about we go to Mr. Smoothie's and then go to a movie?" Devlin piped up.

Kevin glanced at Devlin and smiled. "Good idea, kiddo." 'This is so weird...I never feel like this around other kids...what's going on?'

"It was your idea." Devlin took a sip of his smoothie. "Weren't you saying something about wanting to take Gwen?"

Kevin would have blushed if his face was normal. "Uh...well...sorta..." He muttered. "I mean...I rented a few DVDs so..." He shrugged.

Gwen smiled. "Sounds like fun, Kevin!"

Ben pouted. "What about me? What am I supposed to do?"

"Use the twenty you got off of me yesterday and go nuts." Kevin waved a hand dismissively.

Ben grinned. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot!"

* * *

Gwen snuggled against Kevin as their fifth movie continued. It was around evening by this point and there was something about the dark lighting that made her much bolder about her advances. Moving closer to him felt like the most natural thing in the world. She felt his strong stone arm wrap around her shoulder and smiled. A happy sigh left her lips.

Kevin felt Gwen cuddle closer to him and his heart did a backflip. It seemed so easy at that moment. She felt nice and warm against him. His eyes closed and he softly nuzzled her hair.

It had been forever since they'd been able to be together alone like this. It felt really nice... Gwen was hardly even paying any attention to the movie. All of her focus was on Kevin's steady breathing and his slightly muffled heartbeat. She felt Kevin's gaze on her and tilted her head up. He was so close...if she just leaned in a little more...

"Da- Er...Kevin?" Kevin drew back away from Gwen and turned his head toward the hallway. Devlin was standing there, rubbing his eyes. "I-I had a nightmare...can I sleep on the sofa?"

Kevin felt a flash of agitation at Devlin's badly timed appearance but it quickly passed. "Sure thing. Come on over." He watched Devlin walk over and lie down on the sofa, his head close to Gwen's lap. "Want a pillow?" Devlin nodded and Kevin handed him one of the small cushions. Devlin propped it up so that it was against Gwen's side.

"Is this okay, Mo-Gwen" Devlin looked up, his dark eye glinting while his green eye remained hidden.

"Of course, Devlin." Gwen smiled sweetly, still slightly stunned by Kevin's tender attitude. Feeling an urge that she had never before felt, she reached down and gently brushed Devlin's hair out of his face. Devlin's eyes closed and a peaceful smile came to his face. 'I wonder...why do I sense so much power in him? And there's something else too...but what is it?' Kevin's movements interrupted her thoughts and she watched him reach over her and pull a blanket up around Devlin's shoulders. 'He's so sweet...' Gwen's gaze grew even softer as Kevin drew back.

"What movie are you guys watching?" Devlin looked blankly at the empty screen.

Kevin grinned in embarrassment. He had been so focused on Gwen, he hadn't noticed that the movie had ended. To his delight, he saw a similar look cross Gwen's face. "Um...how about The Princess Bride?" **(KEVIN REFERENCED PRINCESS BRIDE!!! "Hello. My name is Kevin Ethan Levin. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" OMG! I WAS FREAKING OUT SO MUCH!!!!)**

"Oh! I love that movie!" Devlin sat up a little and reached for the popcorn. He paused when he noticed the awkward looks on both Kevin and Gwen's faces. "You can go ahead and put your arm around her again, Kevin. I'm not watching." He put one hand up to shade the left side of his face as he turned his attention to the movie.

Gwen felt herself blushing at Devlin's blunt statement. 'Are we that obvious?' She glanced at Kevin and noticed his hesitation. She scooted closer to him and leaned into him, closing her eyes. She was still aware of little Devlin sitting close by. Strangely enough, he seemed to make this moment complete.

* * *

A week later, Kevin and Gwen were hanging out in Gwen's backyard, watching Devlin flying around on Jetray.

"WHOO-HOO!" Devlin shouted, scrunching his eyes shut as the air blew his hair back. "HIGHER! FASTER!" He felt an intense thrill as Ben climbed higher into the sky. "YEAH!"

"Okay, Devlin! Going down!" Ben called out before gliding back down to earth.

"That was AWESOME! Thanks, Ben!" Devlin's eyes sparkled. "Can we go again?"

"Can't, Devlin. I gotta...well..." He glanced at his cell phone.

"Study date with Julie? I get it!" Devlin grinned knowingly. "Say no more!"

Ben blushed as he turned to leave. "Later guys!"

Kevin smirked a little as Ben walked away. "That kid misses nothing..." He muttered fondly, feeling the now familiar warm sensation that he always felt around Devlin.

"Indeed." A voice spoke behind them. Kevin and Gwen both jumped up in surprise.

"Hi, Paradox!" Devlin rushed over. "Is it time?"

"Only if you are ready, young Devlin. I sense that you are."

Devlin grew very pale and nodded his head. "O-okay..." He murmured, hugging himself a little.

Kevin looked from Paradox to Devlin. "Okay, what's going on here? Am I the only one who's confused?"

Gwen shook her head. "No...I don't get what's going on either." She bent down and put a hand on Devlin's shoulder, brushing his bangs aside with her other hand so that she could look him in the eye. His mismatched eyes glinted shamefully as she gazed sternly at him. "What's going on, Devlin?"

Devlin turned away briefly before locking his gaze to Gwen's once more. 'Now or never...' "I'm from the future." He stated simply. "My father is in danger and my mother is pregnant. I was the only one who could come for help."

"Whoa, whoa!" Kevin also knelt down. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"

Devlin took a deep breath before starting. "My father was kidnapped by a monster. I don' t know how but this monster is very important to his past. My mother tracked him down but her powers were too weak to help because she's carrying my twin siblings. She told me to come back in time to find you, Kevin, and bring you forward to help. You're the only one who can save him."

Kevin's eyes grew REALLY wide. "Wait a second! I'm not the most powerful guy out there! You didn't need to come back to find me! Why not Ben? Is he still alive where you are? Or is it when you are...? Gwen would do a better job! Why couldn't you get help from your time period?"

Paradox put up a hand to silence Kevin's freakout. "Peace, Kevin. You will find out all of the answers in time. Don't worry. Now, while you have all the time in the world, I'm sure that young Devlin grows restless. His parents are waiting."

Kevin steadied his breathing before nodding his head. He felt an unnatural calm wash over him as his determination to help Devlin increased tenfold. Devlin needed him. He couldn't turn away! "Alright, Devlin. I'll help you." He grinned to mask his slight fear. He turned toward Gwen as she placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Not without me, you aren't!" She said sharply, her eyes flashing.

"Gwen...it could be too dangerous..." Gwen held up a hand to silence him.

"You just said that you thought I was better for this job than you!" She smirked a little. "Do you think I'll let you go alone after hearing that?"

Kevin grimaced. "Me and my big mouth..."

"It's okay. Mommy said that you would come as well, Gwen." Devlin piped up.

Kevin blinked. "How would she know?" 

Gwen smiled triumphantly. "That settles it. When do we go?"

Paradox held out his hands. "Right now."

* * *

Kevin's eyes narrowed at the sudden brightness around him. As far as he knew, they had only taken a single step before...WHAM! There was golden light surrounding them. For a moment, he wondered if they were dying. Then, he realized that it was the light of the sun. "Is it supposed to be this bright? Where are we? The Sahara Desert?" As he said this, he realized that the sun, while very bright, gave off a comfortable and not overbearing warmth.

"Nope! This is Bellwood!" Devlin waved his hand around to indicate the whole area. Gwen and Kevin stared in awe.

Where the concrete roads and cement had once been, pathways of clear quartz stretched out in all directions. People were gliding over the thin crystal paths on strange glowing shoes while neon hovercrafts dominated the large roads. "Crystal energy." Devlin explained. "It repels the quartz and allows people to glide. It also provides a clean, fully efficient fuel source." A deer wandered onto the road and a hovercraft immediately swerved to avoid it. "It also rejects organic matter and other vehicles, minimizing crashes and roadkill." The deer quickly darted off toward someone's yard. It was then that Kevin and Gwen noticed how odd the homes were. They were large, white, and domed, clearly made of an alien material. Most of the yards were overgrown with exotic plants and fruit trees, also not native to Earth. The deer shied away from a large, violet, snapping carnivorous plant and began nibbling on what looked like a blue and orange striped pear.

"Cool, huh?" Devlin felt immensely pleased at how impressed Gwen and Kevin were. "Welcome to the future! A great summer in the year 2030!" He spread his arms out wide and grinned brightly.

Kevin snapped out of his stupor at Devlin's words. "2030?! Wait, that's only twenty years from our time! Are we still alive? Are we still here? Where am I? What do I look like?"

Devlin's grin faltered and he nervously scratched at the back of his neck. "Uh...I can't really say anything yet..." He looked anxiously down the road. "My mom should still be at home...when are we, Paradox?"

"A week after you left." He stated simply. "The same amount of time that elapsed in the past.

Devlin's mouth fell open. "A WEEK?! I thought we'd be able to come right back to when I was when I left! That's why I took my time in getting to know Gwen and Kevin! Why didn't you come sooner?! Daddy could be dead by now!"

Paradox calmly held up a hand. "That's why I came when I did. The time to act is now."

"Why didn't you take me right back to when I was when I left?!"

"I have my reasons, young Devlin." Paradox waved his hand impatiently. "Now you'd better go to your mother. You are three seconds behind schedule already." He checked a gold wristwatch before disappearing.

"Wait!" Devlin ran toward where Paradox was and looked around frantically. "Great! Now what'll I do?!" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "First is my mom. One step at a time...that's what she always says..." He turned back to Gwen and Kevin. "Come on. My house is this way."

Kevin was aware of the people staring at him as he walked by and did his best to keep his eyes locked on the ground. He felt Gwen's hand slip into his and felt a little better. He looked up as Devlin turned and started walking down a driveway. His jaw dropped open as the house came into view.

Hidden by the thick growth of magenta trees, the house stood. Long radio antennae stuck out of the top and pieces of advanced technology littered the lawn. There had clearly been a struggle whose effects hadn't yet been cleaned up. Next to the house, slightly levitated, was a landing pad. On it was a green and black helicopter and a large empty space for another aircraft.

"Daddy took the jet with him." Devlin explained. "The helicopter is for emergencies."

"The design on that...it's the same as the design on your car, Kevin!" Gwen gasped.

"Yeah! Your dad has good taste!" Kevin nodded in approval at the helicopter.

Devlin grinned. "I figured you'd think that..." He turned toward the door of the house. As they drew closer, a magenta light could be seen illuminating the walls. Gwen stopped as they drew closer.

"This energy...It's so strong!" She held up her hand and tried to sense the source. 'There must be a mistake...It can't be...' She quickly turned off her Anodite senses. Devlin's power combined with this new power would surely give her a headache if she kept this up.

The door opened and a tall, beautiful, though sad faced woman stepped out. "Hello, Devlin. Three seconds late, just as Paradox said." She smiled and held out her arms. Devlin readily rushed over.

Kevin and Gwen stared at each other before looking intently at Devlin's mother. She was middle aged but beautiful, forty years of age at the most if that much, with long, fiery orange hair that flowed smoothly down to her waist. Her eyes glittered like the dew covered spring grass on the ground. Her hands were long, slender, and calloused, as if she had seen and won many battles. A powerful aura surrounded her, to the point of being almost visible to the naked eye: A faint magenta outline that seemed to shift and fade if looked at directly. Her mouth was curved in a kindly, though mischievous smile, as if she still had the heart of a teenage rebel. Her stomach, they now noticed, was bulging slightly with the weight of unborn children. She turned her emerald gaze on Kevin and Gwen and her smile widened.

"I was hoping to be seeing you two." She walked over and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Yes...just as I remember..." Her eyes sparkled. "I know you're confused and scared. Don't worry. Everything is playing out as it should."

"Remember?" Gwen spoke up. "How do you remember us? And why does your aura feel so..." She tried to describe the sensation but couldn't. She watched the woman's eyes glint cheerfully.

"I repeat, you'll find that out when the time is right. Now, we need to focus on the task at hand." She looked toward the burnt and trashed yard. "You're lucky you didn't come any sooner...the monster came back and triggered the traps I had set up." She shuddered. "If anyone else had been in the area...thank goodness I was able to keep up a shield..." She shook her head slightly before turning back to Kevin and Gwen. "Come inside. I'm sure you want to rest while I explain what needs to be done."

Inside, they were served a huge plate of chocolate chip cookies. Kevin was already eating his fifth. "Wow! These taste just like your cookies, Gwen!" He chugged a glass of milk before popping another cookie into his mouth.

Gwen rolled her eyes at him. "Honestly, Kevin! Couldn't you have better manners?"

"Ah! Righ'! Fanks fah duh gookuhs!" Kevin said to Devlin's mother, his mouth still full.

"You are impossible..." Gwen muttered, shaking her head. "He said-"

"'Thanks for the cookies!' I know." Devlin's mother smiled. "I know."

Kevin swallowed his mouthful with some difficulty before becoming serious once more. "So what do we need to do? What are the details of this monster? Your husband? Where are they and what can we expect?" His eyes suddenly caught something. "Hey! That gold locket around your neck! It looks just like Gwen's!"

"Focus, Kevin!" Gwen elbowed him while looking curiously at the locket. "So, what about it? What do we do?"

"I tracked his location down to this area." Devlin's mother handed them a Plumber's badge. "You can use my badge to find it. Don't try using your powers to track him." She shook a finger at Gwen. "It won't work." She handed Kevin a laser gun. "You won't need this but I know you'll feel better if you carry it."

"You know me so well!" Kevin turned the gun over in his head. "Whew! Level 6 tech! Nice!"

"So when we get there, then what?" Gwen persisted.

"You'll see. Kevin will know what to do once he sees the monster."

"How?" Kevin stopped admiring the weapon to look back at Devlin's mother.

"I can't tell you any more." She checked her watch. "It's time. Devlin will accompany you both to the site." Devlin grew noticeably pale. "Don't worry, sweetheart." Her eyes grew sympathetic. "I promise you that you'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Kevin asked, shocked that a mother would willingly send her six year old son on such a dangerous mission.

"She knows." Devlin smiled. "Don't worry!" He led them out the door toward the helicopter. "Besides, I'm the only one who knows how to fly that thing."

* * *

Gwen's hand flashed as they continued climbing higher. "That's strange..."

"What is it, Gwen?" Kevin leaned over to look at her.

"Devlin's mother was right. I try tracking her husband's aura and I'm getting three different locations at once!" She lowered her hand. "And one of them is here...it's almost as if..."

"As if what?" Kevin leaned over more.

"It's nothing..." She leaned back against the back of the seat and sighed. "Devlin, what's your mother's name?"

"Gwendolyn." Devlin replied calmly, checking the global tracker at his side. "Here we go..."

Gwen felt her suspicion sinking deeper into her heart, slowly confirming itself. "And her maiden name?"

"Tennyson." Devlin said absently, his attention fully focused on the ground below.

Kevin felt his heart freeze. Devlin was Gwen's son?! That woman...was GWEN?! And she was... Kevin leaned forward and spoke frantically. "What's her last name now?!"

"Hold on tight!" Devlin shouted as the chopper's blades began to roar. "I'm still not good at landing yet!"

As he spoke, their seats lurched, almost throwing the helicopter on its side. "WHOA!" They all shouted as the vehicle violently steadied itself into an upright position.

"Okay...Mommy said that the building was where Daddy is. Let's go!"

As they walked, Kevin felt himself being overcome with fear. "Um...what exactly do we know about this monster?"

"All I know is that the monster originated during your time because of a release of power combined with someone's fears. It entered a rip in time made by the person who released the power and came here."

"Who released the power? Whose fear created it?" Gwen asked. A loud roar came from the building.

Kevin felt his heart freeze. That roar sounded familiar...

"The person who released the power was a woman named Charmcaster." Devlin noticed the hatred that flashed across Gwen's face at the name. "And the fear..." Another roar echoed and he was aware of Kevin beginning to tremble. "...is Kevin's."

_Kevin couldn't see! He was blind! There was blackness everywhere! All he was aware of was three mismatched eyes. One was a large green eye with a rectangular pupil. The other two were orange slits on the other side of the beast's face. It opened its jaws, revealing a mouth full of sharklike teeth._

"_Hello, Kevin. Miss me?"_

"Kevin! Kevin!" Gwen shook Kevin's shoulder, breaking him out of his daze. "Stay with us, Kevin! I need you to tell me what you remember about what happened with Charmcaster! How did you feel the whole time?"

"Weird!" Kevin replied immediately. "I mean...she was flirting with me! It all happened so fast...and then she kissed me out of nowhere and there was blankness for awhile..."

"_Why_ did you hang out with her?" Gwen asked, her eyes flashing urgently. "Don't you remember how you were feeling that day?"

"I was angry...I was thinking about that kid...about you...about Ben...about me..." Kevin looked at his hands. "I was ashamed of what I was. I just felt as if I couldn't bare it any longer. That's why I kept getting so mad...it all hurt so much..."

Gwen's heart sank. "I should have known..." She turned her head toward the gaping door. "I think I know what's waiting for us in there..."

* * *

**Well, DUH I gotta stop here! I need to keep my readers itching for part two don't I? Now, I like reviews. If I come home from school tomorrow and find lots of positive reviews, I'll be more motivated to finish Part 2 on time. *hint, hint* ;) See ya'll later! ^_^**

**NOTE- This is edited. Devlin's RIGHT eye is green while the LEFT is black.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ahem...before I start this fic, I'd like to offer my most sincere apologies. If, somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00, you noticed a rip in the space time continuum, felt a massive earthquake, heard a sonic boom, or really any other sign that the sound barrier was shattered, my good friend Joy and I take full responsibility. For, when Gwen kissed Kevin, we experienced a loss of control that probably has never before been seen in the history of the universe. But now that it is over, I am in a state of great calm...**

…

…

…

**Aw who the heck am I kidding...? THEY KISSED! GWEVIN KISS! OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD!!! WHEN KEVIN TURNED BACK TO NORMAL AND GWEN WAS ALL LIKE, "Let me show you..." I WAS ALL LIKE OMIGOD YAAAAY!!!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN US! I DIDN'T EVEN SEE THE WHOLE KISS BECAUSE ME AND JOY STARTED DANCING AROUND THE ROOM SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF OUR LUNGS! BUT I SAW THE LOOK ON HIS FACE WHEN SHE PULLED AWAY AND I COMPLETELY FREAKING MELTED RIGHT THERE! GWEVIN GWEVIN GWEVIN GWEVIN!!!!!!! WE WERE LINKING ARMS AND DANCING AND SCREAMING FOR TEN MINUTES STRAIGHT AFTER THAT! AS SOON AS THIS GETS ONLINE, I'M FAST FORWARDING TO THE KISS AND AM GONNA REPLAY IT TO INFINITY!!!!! HOORAH! MAN OF ACTION, I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!! I SHALL SING HIS PRAISES TO THE END OF TIME!!!! MY WEEK IS NOW COMPLETE!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY, !!!!!!!!! ^_^**

As they walked through the corridors, Kevin's fear was constant. He also kept glancing at Gwen, thinking about this turn of events. 'Gwen's married...Devlin's her son...and I'm saving her future husband...' What this surely meant caused a huge lump to form in his throat. 'Her husband...'

"Kevin. You look sad." Gwen placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder and watched him shy away slightly. "What's wrong?" She noticed Devlin covering his ears and smiled to herself. 'Knows how to respect one's privacy...I raised him well...' She turned her attention back to Kevin.

"I...I just..." He shook his head slowly. "It's just weird...we're fighting a monster that's made from my own fears to save your future husband..." He looked at Gwen out of the corner of his eye. "I...will we really be able to keep going out after this? After meeting your husband?"

Gwen felt a lurch in her chest at the helpless despair on Kevin's face. "Kevin...don't be so sad about that." 'Should I tell him?' "The truth is that-"

RRROOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!!!!!!!

"They're here! Kevin! Put these on!" Devlin ran to the side of the hall and grabbed a bundle, throwing it to Kevin.

Kevin stared what was in the bundle: A pair of blue jeans and his blue jacket! How did these get here?!

"Quickly! Mommy said they'd be here and that you'd need them! Put them on!"

Kevin did as ordered, though the cloth felt weird on his nonhuman body. 'At least it's just the jeans and the jacket and I don't have to worry about my shoes or tee...' He didn't try buttoning the jacket. His fingers were already trembling so badly, it was an effort to get the zipper on his jeans to go up. That roar...

"Come on! We need to go!" Devlin took one of Kevin's hands while Gwen took the other.

Kevin looked from Gwen to Devlin and his heart grew strong once more. "Okay! Let's go!" Another roar echoed through the tunnel and he felt Gwen hug his arm. His heart warmed but still contained bitterness toward the man they were to be saving.

A huge fist crashed down at the doorway in front of them and that roar could be heard. Gwen let out a shout of anger and sent out a stream of pink light. Kevin, on the other hand, couldn't move.

There it was! The very vision of Kevin's worst nightmares! The bane of his existence! Its four arms, three eyes, tail, wings, body, hatred...it was all just as he remembered. It was Kevin 11, the monster!

Kevin's vision was a blur. He saw the monster grab Gwen and throw her aside. He wanted to help! He had to help! He couldn't move! It tossed Devlin to the side before locking eyes with Kevin.

"Remember me, Kevin? Or have you forgotten that I'm always here?" The monster grinned its ugly grin.

Kevin couldn't speak. He just stared.

"Aw...don't be so mean, Kevin! Can't you at least say hello to your old friend?"

"G-get away from me!" Kevin took a step back, his heart cased in ice. "J-just go away!"

"My, my Kevin! Scared of your own shadow are we? You've become so weak." One of his Wildmutt hands lashed out and grabbed Kevin by the neck. "You can become strong again, you know. Embrace what you really are!"

"I'm not like you!" Kevin shouted, trying to get out of the monster's grip. "Not anymore!"

"Yes...more is the pity." His grip on Kevin's throat tightened. "Don't you miss it? The power? The sense of being unstoppable? The longing for revenge? Or have you just gone soft?" He grinned darkly. "Or maybe...I'm closer than you think...maybe it's only a thin layer that separates you from what you are from what you used to be."

Kevin just stared into those horrible eyes. "N-n-n-n-" He couldn't bring himself to speak. Those words...that beast...he could feel himself becoming petrified!

"Kevin! Don't listen to him!" Gwen shouted from her position over an unconscious Devlin. "He's just trying to get into your head! You're not a monster! Don't forget that!"

"Shut up!" The monster's tail lashed out, smacking Gwen into a wall. She let out a groan and slumped down, motionless.

"GWEN!" Kevin felt the fog in his mind lift immediately and morphed his hands into blades. "PUT ME DOWN!" He began sawing at the orange furred arm.

The monster let out a roar of pain and threw Kevin to the side. "Don't listen to that girl! She's nothing to you!"

"You're wrong! She's everything to me!" Kevin shouted, trying to get to where Gwen and Devlin were. 'Let them be okay...' He could see Devlin moving slightly and relief flooded his veins. But was Gwen... A Heatblast hand grabbed him and hoisted him into the air once more.

"Need more convincing? Let me show you what'll happen if you insist on remaining weak!" With that, the monster turned and carried Kevin out of the room.

Kevin struggled desperately. "GWEN! DEVLIN!" He screamed.

"D-D-Daddy..." Devlin moaned, feeling a strange shocking sensation coursing through his body. "Gotta...save...Daddy..." He opened his left eye, everything flashed an electric blue color, and he felt himself slipping into blackness once more.

* * *

As Kevin tried to wiggle out of his captor's tight grip, he suddenly became aware of an unnatural blue light in the hallway. 'What?' A strange staticy sensation filled his chest. It felt familiar... He turned his head to see a strange mass of blue energy moving from lightbulb to lightbulb, apparently following them. It flickered, buzzed, and crackled as it drew closer. The monster turned to look at the light. He let out a roar and began to run.

"THAT BRAT! HOW DID HE-" The light became so overwhelming and huge, it completely engulfed him. He howled in agony as electricity shot through his body. He threw Kevin into the nearest room and collapsed against the door.

Kevin moaned and tried to stand up, but couldn't. 'Great...he broke my ankle...HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK?! IT'S MADE OF ROCK!' **(Most people are under the impression that Kevin's mutant legs are made of wood. I, on the other hand, remember Inside Man where Kevin absorbed the brown colored stone of the nearby cliffs. THAT is what his legs were really made of, as all of the materials are something that he has absorbed at some point before like metal, gray stone, and Taedenite. Wow...I really am a geek...)** He thought angrily, pushing himself up with his hands. "Perfect...just perfect..." A soft chuckle jolted him out of his rant. His head whipped around toward the opposite wall, where he was aware of the soft glow of energy cuffs. "Who's there?!" He demanded, squinting in the darkness. He could just barely see the silhouette of someone sitting against the wall.

"Relax, Kevin." The voice said calmly. It was a light male voice, still containing a hint of a laugh. "You found me."

Kevin felt an icy sensation in his chest. "Oh...So...so you're...you're Gwen's..."

"Husband? Devlin's father? Yes. All of the above." The voice cut in. His eyes glinted in the glow of the cuffs.

Kevin dragged himself over to the wall next to the man and tried to get a good look at him. The blue light illuminated his face just enough for Kevin to see a firm jaw, a devilish smile, and a pair of eyes that danced as if this guy was having the time of his life.

"What's your name?" Kevin felt his chest tighten uncomfortably but he ignored it. He had to know who Gwen would be spending the rest of her life with.

"That isn't important right now." The man replied. "What matters is defeating that." He nodded toward the monster.

"Fair enough." Kevin morphed his rock hand into a mace and began trying to stand.

"That won't work. I already tried." He held up his cuffed hands.

Kevin gaped at the man. "You...wait...are you saying that you're-"

"Of the same species as you? Yes."

"How do you-"

"Know what you're going to say before you say it?" The man's chest moved with silent laughter. "I'm psychic!"

"What?"

"Seriously!" He leaned closer and grinned. "I can see right through your soul!" His eyes widened dramatically.

Kevin glared back at the man. "This isn't the time for jokes."

"Whew! Someone's uptight!" The man moved away again and winked. "But I suppose I can see where you're coming from."

"Your _wife_ and your _son_ are out there at the mercy of that monster and we can't do anything about it!" Kevin shouted. "Don't be calling me uptight! You ought to be more concerned!"

"I'm not though, because _you're_ gonna defeat Mr. Tall, Dark, and Ugly over there." The man leaned against the wall casually. At that moment, the monster regained consciousness and began rampaging back toward the other room. The man barely blinked.

"He's gonna kill them!" Kevin tried to stand up. "Don't just sit there! Do something!"

"Sitting here is all we need, Kevin!" The man closed his eyes in a very relaxed way. "This is a battle of the mind and soul, not the fists." His eyes opened briefly. "Thank goodness Ben didn't here me say that! I'd never hear the end of it!"

"What are you getting at?" Kevin asked, sliding back down into a seated position.

"Think, Kevin! How did that monster first originate?"

"My...fears..." Kevin looked away, ashamed.

"Don't look like that, Kevin! You have every right to be afraid! But specifically what are you afraid of?" The man persisted.

"Of...of becoming a monster again..." Kevin brought his knees up and hugged them slightly. "Of losing Gwen...Ben...my mother...of not being strong enough to protect everyone."

"Legitimate fears. Seeing as they're all true." The man's voice was now full of scorn.

Kevin's head shot up. "What?"

* * *

Gwen's vision was still blurry when she heard the steady thump-thump that signaled the monster's return. "Devlin! Wake up!" She shook his shoulder frantically. "Come on! I know you can hear me!"

"M-Mommy?" Devlin groaned and blinked dumbly.

"Yes! I'm here! You need to stand up! He's coming back! Please stand!" At that moment, she felt herself being lifted roughly.

"You're a troublesome girl! You seem to be what stands between Kevin's mind and my own. I should destroy you first." He squeezed her neck tightly.

"No..." Gwen's hands glowed and she shot a beam of pink light at the monster. He only laughed.

"Silly girl! That won't do any good!" He opened his jaws to bite her head off.

Devlin felt intense rage burning his insides. How dare that thing treat his mom like that?! "MOMMY!" Devlin's right eye grew wide and everything became bathed in pinkish light.

The monster let out a roar of anger as a huge beam of pink energy wrapped around him and threw him to the side.

Gwen fell out of the monster's grip and stared at Devlin. "Devlin! You have my powers!"

Devlin didn't hear Gwen's voice. His attention was completely focused on the monster in front of him. His right eye was seeing everything in magenta while his left eye saw everything in blue. He felt intense power welling up inside his body. He raised both of his arms, a dark look on his face.

"Devlin..." Gwen's senses were being rapidly overwhelmed. She was aware of a blue orb of electricity materializing in one of Devlin's hands while a ray of mana was forming on the other. His mismatched eyes were glowing the two different colors of magenta mana and blue lightning. 'So that's what I sensed! He inherited our combined powers!' "Devlin!" She shouted. "Don't! You'll destroy all of us!" The power hit an all-time high and Gwen crumpled to the ground, clutching her throbbing head. "Devlin! Please!"

* * *

"What are you saying?!" Kevin gasped, staring in shock at the man next to him.

"I'm saying you're completely accurate. You are a monster. You will lose Gwen. You are weak." He leaned back against the wall and sighed. "You'd might as well kiss everything goodbye right now."

"Now wait just a minute! I'm only losing Gwen because of you!" Kevin's eyes flashed with rage. "You don't even care, do you?!"

"And you do?" The man drawled lazily. "I doubt it. If you cared so much, you'd be the one married to Gwen in this time." His smirk looked even more mocking in the blue light of the cuffs.

"You're wrong!" Kevin morphed a hand into a hammer. "Take it back!"

"Oh look. The monster is going to threaten me with a hammer. Typical!" The man's eyes glinted.

"I'm not! I..." Kevin turned his hand back to normal. Gwen's husband was right...if he wasn't able to hold onto Gwen...if he was really willing to pound anyone who angered him... "You're right..."

* * *

"DEVLIN! STOP IT!" Gwen screamed in agony. "PLEASE!"

Devlin couldn't hear. "YOU DON'T HURT MY PARENTS!" He shouted at the monster. The blue and magenta lights were becoming near intolerable but his eyes remained wide open.

"DEVLIN!"

* * *

The man raised his eyebrows. "Come again?"

"I am a monster. I hurt people if they make me mad, even if that person happens to be Gwen or Ben. I've done it before." He closed his eyes as he remembered the horrible things he had said to Gwen when Charmcaster had seduced him. "Whoever you are, you're better for Gwen than I ever could be."

"You got that right. It's no surprise that Gwen dumped you. I mean, look at yourself!"

For some reason, this refueled Kevin's fury. "She wouldn't break up with me because of how I look! She doesn't care about that!"

"Why is that?" The man's drawl was now completely obnoxious and stuck up. "What could she ever see in _you_?"

"I love her!" Kevin was beginning to see red, he was so mad. "That's what she sees! She knows I love her!"

"And does she love you back?"

"I..." Kevin bowed his head. "I don't know..."

"Of course she doesn't! No more than you love her! You're a monster, remember? Monsters cannot love!" The man's voice was laced with contempt.

Kevin's head shot back up again. "I _do_ love her!"

"You can't! You're a monster! You're a coward. You're weak. You can't love."

"I can and I do!" Kevin forced himself to not throttle the guy. "And I've saved her life many times! I'm not a coward! I'm not weak!"

* * *

Gwen became aware of something very odd: The monster had become translucent. She could just barely see through him. 'Is Kevin doing something?' Her attention went back to Devlin. Ignoring the pain that sliced through her skull, she stood up and walked over, grabbing his shoulders. "Devlin! Listen to me! You need to stop!"

"NO! LET ME KILL HIM FOR YOU, MOMMY!" Devlin shouted, his eyes flashing.

"No, Devlin! This is Kevin's job! If you let loose, you'll kill us all!" She watched a bit of Devlin's old expression coming back. "Your time will come but it's not now! Please! For me!"

Devlin felt his anger melt at his mother's stern, but loving gaze. "Okay, Mommy..." The blue and magenta light faded away and he collapsed into Gwen's arms, suddenly feeling weaker than ever.

* * *

Was there a shadow of a smile returning to his face? Kevin couldn't tell. The light made everything hard to discern.

"Okay then." The man said slowly. "So you're not weak. But strength doesn't mean anything. You're still going to lose everything." He closed his eyes. "You push away those who love you."

"Only because I don't want to hurt them! I hurt so many people in my life...I can't do it again!"

"But you will. You'll hurt Ben, your mother, Gwen, everyone!"

"I...I don't want to..."

"It's unavoidable! Monsters hurt people! They enjoy the pain they inflict, just like you!"

"I could NEVER enjoy hurting Ben, Gwen, or my mom!"

"How else will you lose them?"

"I dunno...I...I..." Kevin stopped and stared into space. "I dunno...how else I'd lose them..."

Kevin didn't notice the smile that was spreading across the man's face as he spoke. "Then you _will_ hurt them and lose them!"

"NO!" Kevin snarled. "I won't hurt them! I won't lose them like that!"

"Then how _do_ you want to lose them?"

"I don't want to lose them at all!"

"But you clearly will."

"I'll do anything so I won't! Anything! I love them more than anything! I'll never let them go!"

* * *

Gwen put up a shield around herself and Devlin as the four giant fists continued to bombard her mana. 'I can't hold this much longer...' Suddenly, the monster froze in mid-pound. He was almost completely transparent. There was only a thin outline left.

"No..." The monster spun around toward the hallway. "It can't be..." His eyes narrowed. "KEVIN!" With a bloodcurdling roar, he thundered as fast as he could toward the hallway.

"Kevin!" Gwen started to stand but then stopped. 'I can't do anything...' She looked down at Devlin, who was still unconscious. 'I can't leave him here alone...' She closed her eyes and tried to send strength to Kevin. 'Please hear me, Kevin!'

* * *

Kevin was jolted out of his rage by the sound of thundering footsteps running toward them.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Well, looks like he's coming to finish us off." The man yawned. "Hope he makes it quick."

"How can you say that?!" Kevin gasped. "Your wife is still alive! So's Devlin! You can't give up!"

"You're a fine one to talk Mr. Self-Pity!" The man snorted. "You gave up on yourself a long time ago! You gave up on everything!"

He was coming closer! His unearthly howl echoed through the walls!

"I didn't give up on Gwen! Or Devlin! How could you?!"

"How could you believe in anything? You don't care."

"Yes I do!"

Closer! The ground was shaking!

"Monsters don't care about anything but themselves, and you don't even care about that much! You're pathetic!"

"I am not! I don't care about myself! Not as much as Gwen!"

"You don't care for Gwen. How many times do I have to keep saying this? You're a monster! Monsters can't love or care for anyone!"

"Well I do!"

"What kind of monster are you?"

CRASH! CRASH!

"I'm not a monster!" Kevin spat. "I love Gwen with all my heart!"

"What was that?"

The beast broke the door down and hurled himself at the two.

"I CAN love! I DO love! I AM NOT A MONSTER!" Kevin screamed.

There was a roar! A shriek! He was about to crush them! Strangely, the man had a wide grin on his face.

"Bingo!" He stated simply.

Kevin scrunched his eyes shut and prepared for the pain. He felt himself crumbling all over! He was dying! He waited for the agony to follow. He waited to die...nothing happened. Cautiously, he opened one eye. They were sitting in an empty room. The creature was nowhere to be seen. "Wh-what happened?"

"Exactly what I said would happen." The man stood up. The cuffs were no longer glowing. He pressed his hands against the stone wall, turning his arms to rock and breaking the cuffs. "You did it."

Kevin's mouth dropped open. "Wait...so those things you were saying...it was all just to get me to admit that my fears were wrong?!"

"That's right!"

Kevin's anger disappeared completely and was replaced with awe. "Th-that's incredible! How did you know what to do?" He saw the man offer him a hand.

"Stand up, Kevin." He stated simply.

Kevin reached out his hand and felt his heart leap into his throat. His hand wasn't reflecting any light! It was a human hand! "No way..." He was pulled to his feet. His ankle felt fine. "It can't be..."

"Oh, it can! Come on!"

Kevin was pulled out into the lit hallway. He stared at himself. 'That's why Devlin gave me the clothes...somehow he knew!' He felt his face. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"The rejection of one's fears is a powerful thing, Kevin. Powerful enough to cure even a mutation like what you had."

Kevin turned to get a full look at the man. He was tall, taller than Kevin, with cheerful dark eyes. His black hair was long and tied back in a low ponytail so that his grinning face was clearly visible. His grin was a combination between a superior smirk and a genuine smile. He wore normal, though slightly worn, blue jeans along with a white tee-shirt and a leather jacket. A pair of black shades dangled from a cord around his neck. These, he pulled up over his sparkling eyes. He fingered a small, millimeter thin silver chain that rested around his neck and his grin grew ever wider.

Kevin had to admit: This guy was pretty awesome! "Okay, now that the danger has passed...what's your name?"

"DADDY!" Devlin came running down the hallway, closely followed by Gwen. His father turned around and knelt down, opening his arms for his son who nearly knocked him over. "Daddy! You're alright!"

"I sure am, kiddo!" He hugged his son close while glancing from Gwen to Kevin.. "I think it's time for us all to go home!"

* * *

"Thanks for everything!" Devlin hugged Kevin and smiled. "You're so cool!"

"Thank your dad." Kevin muttered. "If it weren't for him, I couldn't have defeated that thing."

"I just did!" Devlin stated calmly before running back over to his mom.

"Wait...what?" Kevin's heart skipped a beat. "Come again?" He felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Before you go, Kevin, I think you need this." Devlin's father wrapped Kevin's fingers around a small metal object.

Kevin stared at it. It was a silver ring with a large diamond in the center. On one side was a black onyx while the other had a beautiful emerald. "Wh-what are you giving me this for?" He followed Devlin's dad's gaze until it rested on adult-Gwen's right hand. It had the very same ring! "Wait...so you're..." He stared up at those dark eyes. Those eyes...that hair...that attitude... They were all his own!

Adult-Kevin grinned and burst out laughing. "It's about time! You're really slow, kid!"

"Kevin!" Adult-Gwen called over sternly. "Stop insulting yourself!"

"But I have the right to! Back when I was him and traveled here, the me that I am now messed with me in the same way!"

Kevin blinked. "Huh? What does that mean?"

Adult-Kevin paused and got a confused look on his face. "I don't...know..." He scratched his head. "The adult me of the future I visited when I was you messed with myself in the way that I'm...No wait, the you that came last time was me so the me that I am now was a different you and he...I..." He rubbed his head and blinked a few times. "I got no clue what the heck I'm saying!"

"I think you're saying that you messed with me before when you were me and I was...wait...HUH?!"

Gwen walked over and placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Give up, Kevin. You'll only give yourself a headache."

Kevin's expression softened as he turned toward Gwen. He glanced from adult-Kevin to adult-Gwen. "Did you know that..."

Gwen nodded and smiled lovingly. "I figured it out."

"Well done! Bravo!"

Everyone turned to see Paradox standing in waiting.

"It's time to go home, you two." He said calmly.

Kevin nodded in understanding and bent down to Devlin. "Thanks for everything, Devlin. I can't wait until I'm older and can raise you to be what you are now." He ruffled Devlin's hair affectionately. "I'm becoming such a softie..." He murmured half to himself.

"That's a good thing! Mommy likes that!" Devlin piped cheerfully.

Kevin blushed and nodded. "Take care of yourself. Then again, I'll be taking care of you here when I...he..."

"Daddy, Mommy is right. You _will_ get a headache."

"Yeah..." Kevin chuckled. "Well, anyway, thank you." He gave Devlin a last hug.

Gwen also stepped forward. "Bye, Devlin. Be good or the me of this time will ground you for life." Her eyes glittered with love as she hugged her son. When she drew back, she winked and smirked a little.

Devlin laughed. "Don't worry, Mommy!" He took a step back. "Bye!"

Glancing behind their shoulders, Gwen and Kevin slowly followed Paradox back to their own time.

* * *

**NOTE: This next scene is full of a bunch of really passionate fluff. BUT IT AINT A LEMON! Pinky swear!**

Paradox kindly dropped the two off in Kevin's living room before leaving once more. With a sigh, Gwen fell down on the couch. "That...was...amazing..." She closed her eyes and sighed. "It's good to be back..." When she opened her eyes, she saw Kevin gazing down at her. The corners of her mouth pulled back into a soft smile. "What is it?" She asked, a playful tone in her voice.

"Nothing much..." Kevin knelt down next to the sofa and leaned over her. He touched his lips to her soft exposed neck. He didn't' hesitate. He wasn't scared to make advances now!

Gwen whimpered quietly as Kevin's velvety lips gently worked on the weak spot on her neck. "K-Kevin..." She sighed, closing her eyes and submitting to his loving kiss. She felt his hands slowly move up her arms, along her shoulders, and onto each cheek. He kissed slowly up her neck and she savored every tender touch.

"I just can't believe it..." Kevin purred into her skin. "For the rest of eternity...forever...I'm all yours." His lips brushed against her cheek. "And you're mine..." He nuzzled her cheek and blew a gentle puff of air on her ear. She shivered and his smile grew bigger. "I've never been happier, Gwen..." His voice was ragged and husky with emotion. He watched Gwen's mouth widen into an even bigger smile and his chest felt like exploding. "I promise I'll always love you, Gwen." He whispered. "I know from the future that you're going to love me and I swear that you'll never regret that!"

"I already love you, Kevin." Gwen whispered, reaching forward to cradle Kevin's face in her hands.

"Y-you do?" Kevin's expression grew even more passion-filled.

"Always." She sat up and locked her emerald eyes with his onyx eyes. "I want to be there for you. I want to be the one who holds you when you're sad. I want to laugh with you. When I'm sad, I want you to be who I come home to. I want to hear your voice and hold your hand." Her face turned bright red as she spoke. "I want you, Kevin. Forever."

Kevin leaned close to her ear and whispered two words: "I'm yours."

Unable to resist, Gwen pulled Kevin's face to hers and pressed her lips to his. He moaned slightly as her tongue ran softly across his bottom lip. Her hands traveled slowly up the bare chest that lay exposed by his unbuttoned jacket.

The feel of skin on skin was almost intoxicating. Kevin closed his eyes and caressed her tongue with his. He heard a low moan in the back of her throat and laughed softly, drawing back. She had a blissful, though mildly surprised expression on her face. "What is it?" He asked, absentmindedly stroking her cheek.

"I just...never knew you to be so...gentle." She felt her cheeks grow warm, warmer even when Kevin sighed into her ear.

"Do you like gentle?" He breathed softly.

Gwen's stomach was filled with butterflies. "V-very much..." She murmured.

Kevin nodded once before tenderly placing his lips back on Gwen's lips. He sucked gently on her bottom lip to coax her to open up more. He felt great pleasure in her immediate response: Her arms moving around his shoulders and her hands kneading at the many knots in his muscles. He grew bolder and began to thoroughly taste her. She tasted of a combination of vanilla and strawberries. He couldn't get enough! Her movements signaled that she was now tasting him. 'Thank goodness I had a mint today...' He thought in the very back of his mind. Her lips then moved down to suck on the soft spot on his neck. He gasped at the light, warm, tingly sensation that spread throughout his whole body. She moved her lips very slowly, effectively massaging Kevin's neck. "Mmmmmm..." He muttered, feeling his heart melt. He moved over her and onto the very back of the sofa cushions. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "You're such a sweetheart..." He buried his face in the crook of her neck and cuddled up against her. The two lay there unmoving, before Kevin finally spoke again. "Anything particular you want to do with today?"

"Well..." Gwen closed her eyes and tried listening to Kevin's heart while talking. "We have those movies. We could go hang out with Ben and Julie. Or..." She stroked the side of his neck, smiling the smile that only people who are deeply in love have. "...we could just lie here and snuggle for a few hours."

Kevin draped an arm across Gwen and closed his eyes. "I like option C. It's so cold in here..."

"Yeah! Freezing!" Gwen did a fake shiver.

Kevin gazed her, grinning. "Need me to warm you up?" He hugged her tightly again. She looked tired... He rubbed her back soothingly, watching her grow drowsier and drowsier. "Hey, Gwen?"

"Hmmm?"

"So...do you think you can handle spending the rest of your life with me?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Kevin." Gwen sighed and nuzzled his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too." He watched her fall asleep and kissed her closed eyelids. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest for awhile before bringing his head to a rest in the crook of her neck, close to the heart. He fingered the ring in his pocket and he closed his eyes. 'Later...when we're older...' He promised himself as he fell asleep, aware of nothing except Gwen's warmth and their long and happy future together.

* * *

Kevin fiddled nervously with his chain necklace. How long would he and Devlin have to wait?! Finally, the doctor came out.

"Go on in, Mr. Levin. Congratulations!" He patted Kevin on the shoulder before walking off.

Kevin and Devlin both tried to enter the room at the same time and got stuck. "Urf!"

"Oof!"

"OW!"

"Boys, come in one at a time!" Gwen's laughter-filled voice rang in their ears like wind chimes.

Devlin sighed and stepped back to let his father go by, but he followed less than an inch behind. They stood on either side of the bed. 'Wow!'

The little girl, Julie, looked at everyone with wide black eyes. Just the slightest bit of black hair was beginning to grow. She smiled at everyone and laughed when she saw her older brother's face. The little boy, Ben, had his mother's signature green eyes along with the beginnings of a healthy head of orange hair. He reached out curiously and touched his father's hand.

Devlin smiled and waved a rattle for the two kids to see. A magenta light surrounded it and it was yanked out of his hands. "Huh?" He watched the pink aura rattle move through the air and into little Ben's outstretched hand. The kid smiled and started shaking it. "He's strong for someone who's only been alive for a few minutes!"

"Oh...we have a little Anodite!" Gwen kissed little Ben on top of the head.

Julie, meanwhile, had reached up and was touching her mother's golden locket. With a squeak of glee, she grasped the pendant in her hand, which also began turning gold. The gold spread up her arm as she pulled it away and began sucking on her shiny thumb.

Kevin smiled softly as pride welled up in his chest. "That's my girl..."

Devlin wasn't sure if his father was referring to his sister, his mom, or both. 'Probably both!' Devlin nodded his head slightly before asking his mom if he could hold one of his new siblings.

Kevin took little Julie while Devlin held Ben. He leaned close and kissed his wife. He then whispered in a voice that only she could hear: "Thank you so much, Gwen. I love you."

Gwen planted a sweet kiss on his cheek. "I love you too, Kevin." The two gazed at each other for a long time, their feelings of love, passion, and hope reflecting in two pairs of eyes; a pair of emerald and a pair of onyx.

**Before I close off, here are the acknowledgments.**

**Atlashon- Giving me the idea to use Devlin in this story. Your PM stating that Devlin destroys Gwevin was the very spark that erupted into this flaming awesome story!**

**Fairy of the Flames- The idea for a movie scene, which was an absolutely perfect fluffy plot break.**

**Skylark Evanson- Your overall hyperness and want to read this story was a HUGE motivation! Thanks!**

**Super-Midget-Ninja1990- I put your idea of Kevin and Gwen being halfway across the galaxy in Chapter 1 when Devlin made up that excuse. It's vague but it's there! Thanks!**

**ALL of my fans who are the ones who keep me writing these fics in the first place!**

**Now, I'd like to point out one last thing: KEVIN HUGGED BEN!!!! Next to Gwevin, what I most enjoy seeing is cute brotherly moments between Ben and Kevin! I was losing hope that a really adorable one would happen and then, BAM! HUG! Man Of Action owns the world tonight. I bow at his feet... Much as you will surely bow at my feet after reading this. If this chapter sucks, I'm sorry! I started writing at three when I got home and kept going until I went to Joy's at 6:30. I came back around 10:30 and worked up to now. I'm half asleep so don't flame anything! So, Solora is signing off... THEY FREAKING KISSED OMIGOD!!!!!**


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